CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati football team has accepted a bid to play Duke University in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 27, 2012 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The game will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET and air on ESPN.

"We are pleased to accept a bid to the Belk Bowl," head coach Butch Jonessaid. "We are excited by the prospect of a great number of Cincinnati fans being the team behind the team and helping us celebrate the holiday season in Charlotte."

In addition to the game, the Belk Bowl FanFest will feature a free concert with Lady Antebellum outside the stadium prior to kickoff.

"We are very happy to announce that the University of Cincinnati will be playing in the 2012 Belk Bowl," said Will Webb, Executive Director. "Cincinnati has played very well this season and we are excited to host the Co-Champions of the Big East Conference. We feel that the Bearcats are a very strong team that should provide a good matchup in Charlotte for its opponent. We look forward to hosting Cincinnati and their fans for the 2012 Belk Bowl and all the surrounding events."

"We are very excited about hosting the Bearcats and their fans in Charlotte for the first time," said Jon Pollack, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and E-Commerce of Belk. "They bring a strong record to the game. We know they will enjoy our Modern Southern Style of football!"

Tickets are on sale now at CATSTIX.com and are available at four pricing levels. Tickets are priced at $50 for upper level seats, $75 for lower endzone, $85 for lower sideline and $100 for club seats.

Tickets are available for purchase by all fans, including UCATS members, students and the general public. Seating assignments will be determined by UCATS tier level and then priority points within the tier level. Fans are strongly encouraged to order tickets online to avoid long wait times on the phone or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office.

The customer service call center will be open from 8-5 p.m., starting Monday, Dec. 3. Fans that do not purchase online can call 1-877-CATS-TIX or visit the Athletics Ticket Office on the fourth floor of the Richard E. Lindner Center in Varsity Village.

All individuals who buy or donate tickets through UC will receive: two (2) tickets to a future BIG EAST Conference men's basketball game and a 20% off merchandise credit for the GoBEARCATS.com online store.

The priority deadline for ordering bowl tickets will be 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2011. The allocation process of bowl tickets following the deadline. Tickets may be ordered after the deadline, but patrons may be at risk of being allocated in a less desirable location.

There will be no limit to the number of bowl tickets a patron chooses to purchase, but there will be a limit of 16 tickets allocated in a determined priority seating location (priority seating locations will be determined by venue location and quantities of overall bowl tickets purchased). Allocations of bowl tickets will be based upon UCATS annual giving and priority points.

The Department of Athletics will disseminate information on student tickets and travel packages through GoBEARCATS.com, C-Mail and social media outlets when it becomes available.

If students are planning on traveling to the Belk Bowl on their own, they are encouraged to purchase tickets now at CATSTIX.com.

The Bearcats (9-3, 5-2 BIG EAST Conference) will be playing in their 14th bowl game and sixth in the past seven seasons. UC is 7-6 all-time in post-season games and will be making its first trip to the Belk Bowl.

UC won its fourth BIG EAST title in five years on Saturday, the only NCAA FBS AQ team in the nation to achieve that feat. The Bearcats are 19-6 over the past two seasons with two BIG EAST titles and a win over SEC foe Vanderbilt in the 2011 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

The Bearcats and Blue Devils have never met on the gridiron despite being two of the older programs in college football. UC (1885) is celebrating its 125th season of football while Duke (6-6, 3-5 ACC) has been playing since 1895.

Duke finished the season with a 6-6 overall record (3-5 in the ACC, fifth in the Coastal Division). Duke won six of its first eight games, including a 33-30 win over rival North Carolina to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994. Head Coach David Cutcliffe was named the 2012 ACC Coach of the Year, and nine Blue Devils earned All-ACC recognition following the regular season. With senior quarterback Sean Renfree headlining the offense, Duke is the only team in the nation to have three receivers with 60-plus receptions this season.

For further information on the Bearcats' trip to the 2012 Belk Bowl, please visit bowl central at GoBEARCATS.com. Some of the information available includes: travel packages with Provident Travel, important dates and deadlines, ticket details and general bowl information.